Citing vicious attacks on trans people, drag artists, and the entire LGBTQ+ community across the nation, demonstrators said that they are standing up for not only themselves but for others who cannot do so. More than 1,000 rallied in San Francisco's Union Square on April 8 in a show of solidarity that had the atmosphere of a colorful festival.

So far in 2023, lawmakers in 46 states have introduced more than 650 anti-LGBTQ bills. These attempts to strip away the rights of queer and trans people include attacks on gender-affirming care and drag shows, as well as book bannings.

In the San Francisco march, many demonstrators carried signs and wore paraphernalia in remembrance of drag activist Heklina who was a pioneering figure in the San Francisco drag scene and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ causes. Heklina died in London just two days before the march at the age of 55.

Drag Up and Fight Back in San Francisco | Don't Hate What You Don't Understand | Protesting Anti-drag Anti-trans Legislation in Style

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